ALOO BALL RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Make the Saffron Aioli: In a small bowl, add the warm milk and saffron, and let sit for about 1 minute. The color and fragrance of the saffron will come through. 2. In a medium bowl, add the mayonnaise. Grate in the garlic. Add the lemon juice, saffron-?milk mixture, black pepper and salt. Whisk to combine. 3. Make the Risotto: In a medium skillet over medium heat, add the oil and butter. Once the butter melts, add the onions and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and grated zucchini. Saut? for about 1 minute. Add the rice, and toast until translucent, about 4 minutes. (You will smell a toasted aroma.) 4. Begin adding ? cup stock to the pan, stirring until all the stock has been absorbed. There should not be any stock left in the pan, at which point you will add another ? cup stock. Keep repeating the process until the rice is al dente, for a total of 20 to 25 minutes. There will be a slight bite to the rice, but it should be soft. The risotto should look creamy at this stage. Add the Parmesan, lemon zest, salt, black pepper and basil, and mix to combine. 5. Dump the risotto onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread it into an even layer and transfer to the fridge for 1? to 2 hours, or up to a day. 6. Make the Arancini: Remove the risotto from the fridge. To a large bowl, add the boiled mashed potatoes, chili powder, cumin, coriander, chaat masala and salt. Add the risotto and mix well. 7. Have a large baking sheet ready. Prepare an assembly line of separate bowls with the flour, eggs (beaten well), panko breadcrumbs and mozzarella cubes (if using). 8. Using a 1-? or 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, take a scoop of the risotto mixture and make balls by rolling them between your palms. (If you want to stuff the arancini with mozzarella cheese, add a piece of cheese in the middle, wrap the risotto around the cheese to seal it and roll it between your palms to secure the ball.) Place the balls on the baking sheet as you work. Continue until all the mixture has been formed into balls. 9. Coat each ball in the flour, shake off excess; then the egg wash, shake off excess; and then the panko breadcrumbs. Place each ball back on the baking sheet. (To prevent sticky fingers, use a fork for the panko breadcrumbs part and a spoon for the egg part, or use two different hands, one for the egg wash and one for the panko bread crumbs.) Freeze the arancini for 10 minutes. 10. Line plate with paper towels. Fill a large pot or Dutch halfway with vegetable oil and heat on medium to high heat until it reaches 350?F on a thermometer. Once the oil is ready, fry a few balls at a time until they're heated through and the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes, rotating halfway through to brown the other side. Once they are uniformly brown, transfer to the plate. Repeat until all the arancini are fried. 11. Garnish with the freshly grated Parmesan cheese and the microgreens. Serve with the saffron aioli. Note: The arancini store well in the fridge, and the best way to heat them up is by baking them in a toaster oven. The aioli can be made 1 to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container for up to a week.

Steps:

• For the dough: Whisk together the flour, ajawain, if using, and the salt. Add the oil and, using your hands, rub it into the flour mixture until fully incorporated. While stirring with a wooden spoon, gradually add the water, until a shaggy dough is formed. Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead until soft and pliable, about 3 minutes. Rub a little oil, about 1 teaspoon, over the dough, place on a plate and cover with a damp towel. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight.
• For the filling: Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with cold tap water by about 2 inches, and season with salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, transfer to a medium bowl and set aside to cool slightly. Using a fork, slightly smash the potatoes.
• Meanwhile, in a small food processor (mini-chopper), combine the onion, ginger, garlic, chiles, and 1 tablespoon water and puree to a paste.
• Heat the ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the onion paste, salt, garam masala and turmeric and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring and mashing lightly with a wooden spoon, until hot, about 2 minutes. Stir in the peas. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, chopped cilantro and remaining 2 tablespoons water.
• To form the samosas: Divide the dough into 10 portions. Using your hands, roll each portion into a small ball. On a floured work surface, using a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 7-inch wide disc. Cut each disc in half.
• Set a small bowl of water beside you. Working with one dough semi-circle at a time, fold half of the straight edge up to the rounded side and wet its outside edge with a little water. Fold the other half up to form a cone, overlapping it with the other side by 1/4 inch. Press the edges together to form a seal. Hold the cone in one hand and fill it with about 1/4 cup of the potato filling. Slightly wet the inside of the rounded edge and fold it over the filling to enclose it. Press the edges together to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to make 20 samosas.
• In a large, wide heavy-bottomed pot, pour in the oil to a depth of about 2 inches. Place over medium heat, and heat until a deep-fry thermometer inserted in the oil registers 365 degrees F.
• Working in small batches, fry the samosas until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Serve immediately with tamarind sauce or your favorite chutney.
• For the ghee: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Skim off any of the white foam that comes to the surface with a spoon (being careful not to scoop up any yellow fat from the butter) and discard. Lower the heat to medium and simmer until all of the water has evaporated and the white milk solids have browned in the bottom of the saucepan, about 8 minutes.
• Line a sieve with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and pour the butter through into a container. Discard the browned milk solids in the sieve or reserve for another use. Use now or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Yield: about 2 cups